Cigarette dumping ash tray



June 12, 1956 w. H. MCINROY CIGARETTE DUMPING ASH TRAY Filed June 26,1955 JNVENTOR. a W//SOU HMCfn/"Og BY CIGARETTE DUMPIN G ASH TRAY WilsonH. Mclnroy, Savannah, Ga.

Application June 26, 1953, Serial No. 364,379

2 Claims. (Cl. 131-240) This invention relates to ash trays, and moreparticularly to a safety cigarette support for use in an ash ltray.

The main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improvedsafety support for a cigarette for use on the edge of an ash tray, saidsupport being simple in construction, being easy to install, andproviding an automatic dumping action for moving a lighted cigaretteinto the ash tray when the cigarette burns to a relatively short length.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved safetyattachment for use on the edge of an ash tray, said attachment providingautomatic dumping of a lighted cigarette When the cigarette burns to arelatively short length, the attachment being inexpensive tomanufacture, being durable in construction, and being relatively compactin size.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom the following description and claims, and from4 the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Figure l is a fragmentary Vertical cross sectional view taken throughthe marginal portion of an ash tray provided with an improved cigarettedumping attachment constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical cross sectional View similar to Figure 1, showingthe position of the dumping attachment after the cigarette has burned toa relatively short length and has been moved into the ash tray by theattachment.

Figure 3 is an end elevational view of the rim portion of the ash traywith the attachment of Figures l and 2 mounted thereon.

Figure 4 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 4 4 ofFigure 1.

Figure 5 is a perspective View showing the components of the dumpingattachment employed in Figures l to 4.

Referring to the drawings, 11 designates a conventional ash tray havinga peripheral rim portion 12. Fixedly supported on the rim portion 12 isa hinge leaf 13, said leaf being formed at one end with the inwardlyprojecting, transversely aligned hinge loops 14. As shown in Figure 5,the hinge loops 14 are spaced apart and are carried at the ends of therespective parallel arms 1S. Designated at 16 is another hinge leafwhich is formed with the spaced parallel arms 17 having the hinge loops18 at their ends. A hinge pin 19 extends through the cooperating hingeloops 14 and 18 and connects the upper hinge leaf 16 to the iixed hingeleaf 13 for tilting movement of the leaf 16 relative to the leaf 13. Thearms 17 are spaced apart by the rectangular notch 20 shown in Figure 5.

Designated at 2.1 is a generally U-shaped member of thermo-respondentbimetallic strip material, arranged so that its legs 24 and 3i) lie in agenerally vertical plane with the bight 21 inwardly of and spaced fromthe inner edge of the tray rim portion 12. Positioned above andlongitudinally of the upper one of the legs of the element 21 or leg 30is a trough member 26, the trough member and the offset portion 22 ofthe upper leg 30 inwardly of nited States Patent O 2,749,917 Patented.lune 12, 1956 the free end of the latter leg being connected to thehinge leaf 16 for movement with the latter as by screws 23 extendingthrough apertures 28 formed in the trough member 26 and throughapertures provided in the portion 22, the screws being threadedlyengaged in the upper hinge.

A downwardly curved end portion 25 of the lower leg 24 of the member 21inwardly of the free end thereof passes over the hinge pin 19V andextends through the notch 2t) and is adapted to bear downwardly upon thefixed hinge leaf 13 outwardly of the hinge pin 19 for tilting movementof the trough member 26 about the hinge pin 19 when the legs 24 and 3i)move away from each other under the influence of heat from the burningof a cigarette 31 resting upon a portion of the bimetallic memberdisposed longitudinally of the lower portion of the trough member 26 atthe innerA end portion thereof. The free end portion of the leg 24constitutes a lever arm which extends horizontally from the portionthereof above the center of the hinge pin 19 to the free end 25 as seenin Fig. l. When the bimetallic member 21 is heated the legs will tend toseparate, causing the end 25 to bear downwardly on the upper surface ofthe hinge leaf 13 at a position spaced outwardiy of the hinge pin 19.The reaction is such as to produce a turning moment about the center ofthe hinge pin because of the lever arm thereby causing the displacementof the trough 26, the upper hinge leaf 16, the bimetallic member 21 andthe cigarette from the position shown in Fig. l to that of Fig. 2. Thiscauses the cigarette to be dumped into the ash tray 11. In this manner,a lighted cigarette cannot accidentally fall out of the ash tray andcause a ire, whereby tire hazards are greatly reduced by the use of theattachment above described. ln the case of a long cigarette it tends toslide forward when dumped, with the burning end coming to rest on thebottom of the ash tray in a position similar to that of the cigaretteshown in Fig. 2. In this position, the heat of the burning end will bedissipated by the bottom of the ash tray causing the cigarette to beextinguished. When the bimetallic member cools, it will return thetrough to the position shown in Fig. l. Before the trough reaches theposition of Fig. l, the extinguished end of the cigarette will be nudgedtoward a vertical unstable position from which it will topple into thetray.

While a specific embodiment of an improved automatic cigarette dumpingdevice for an ash tray has been disclosed in the foregoing description,it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit ofthe invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it isintended that no limitations be placed on the invention except asdefined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. ln an ash tray having a rim portion, a cigarette dumper including ahinge leaf tixedly supported upon said rim portion, an upper hinge leafarranged in superimposed relation with respect to said ixed hinge leafand connected to said iixed hinge leaf for tilting movement about ahorizontal axis, a U-shaped member fabricated of thermo-responsivematerial having a bight portion and arranged so that its legs lie in agenerally vertical plane with the bight inwardly of and spaced from theinner edge of said tray rim portion, a trough member positioned aboveand longitudinally of the upper one of the legs of said U-shaped member,said trough member and a portion of the upper one of the legs of saidU-shaped member adjacent the free end thereof being connected to saidupper hinge leaf for movement with the latter, a portion of the lowerone of the legs of said U-shaped member inwardly of the free end thereofpassing over said axis the free end of said lower leg being curveddownwardly and adapted to bear downwardly upon said tixed hinge leafoutwardly of said axis to provide a lever arm for tilting movement ofsaid trough member and the upper hinge leaf about said axis when thelegs of the U-shaped member move away from each other under theinfluence of heat from the burning end of a cigarette upon saidthermo-responsive member.

2. In an ash tray having a rim portion, a cigarette dumper including ahinge leaf fixedly supported upon said rim portion and having one endadjacent the inner edge of said rim portion, an upper hinge leafarranged in superimposed relation with respect to said first-named hingeleaf, cooperating hinge loops on said one end of said fixed hinge leafand the complemental end of said upper hinge leaf, ahinge pin extendingthrough said cooperating loops and connecting said upper hinge leaf tosaid xed hinge leaf for tilting movement of said upper hinge leaf` withrespect to said xed hinge leaf, a U-shaped member having a bight portionfabricated of thermo-responsive material and arranged so that its legslie in a generally vertical plane with the bight inwardly of and spacedfrom the inner edge of said tray rim portion, a trough member positionedabove and longitudinally of the upper lil one of the legs of saidU-shaped member, said trough member and a portion of the upper one ofthe legs of said U-shaped member adjacent the free end thereof beingconnected to said upper hinge leaf for movement with the latter, theportion of the lower one of the legs of said U-shaped member inwardly ofthe free end thereof passing over said hinge pin having a downwardlycurved free end adapted to bear downwardly upon said fixed hinge leafoutwardly of said hinge pin providing a lever arm for tilting movementof said trough member and the upper hinge leaf about said hinge pin whenthe legs of said U-shaped member move away from each other under theinfluence of heat from the burning end of a cigarette upon saidthermo-responsive member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,034,710 Carlson Mar. 24, 1936 2,244,149 Grantham June 3, 19412,644,466 Jennings July 7, 1953 2,644,468 Kenes July 7, 1953

